Caught On Fire
by lilylittle
Summary: Foggy Nelson gets the surprise of his life when his sister turns up on his doorstep. With a black eye and bust lip, she has nowhere to go and needs a place to stay. But she has a secret, one that will turn their life upside down. Eventual Matt/OC.
1. Secrets

Chapter One

Foggy Nelson had always been the protective brother when it came to his younger sister Isabelle. She was his best friend as soon as she was able to talk and communicate with him; she would laugh at his jokes even when they were anything but funny, would prank him just as much as he pranked her, and tried to make him laugh whenever the stresses of school and the bullying that came with it began to take its toll on him. They were inseparable, and their relationship was something to be admired and it was by many people who were able to witness them both together. Their relationship only seemed to strengthen and mature as they both got older, and as Foggy announced to his family that he was leaving for college, life seemed pretty unbearable to think about neither one of them being able to spend much time with each other but promises were made, and promises were kept.

The years at college went by relatively quickly, with Isabelle travelling up to see Foggy on every weekend he was free to hang out with her. She was introduced to Matt quite early on, and it was nice to see her brother have a friend who cared for him as much as she did. He had struggled with school but he was thriving at college; he had a friend who pushed him to his limit and he was studying a subject he was wholly interested in. As the years passed by, Foggy and Isabelle remained incredibly close despite Isabelle moving thousands of miles to start a new life with her husband. It had been a whirlwind romance that Isabelle's entire family knew she wasn't prepared for, but she was happy and that was the only thing that mattered.

A few years later, Foggy had graduated from college at the top of his class alongside Matt. Isabelle and Foggy's parents were there to cheer both him and Matt on as they graduated, but Foggy had seen the strain on Isabelle's face when it was time for her to say goodbye to them and return to Las Vegas. He knew she didn't want to go, that something had happened but there wasn't anything he could do or say to make it better. So he offered her a brotherly hug; one full of love and support, and she was grateful to him for that. Whenever she needed him, he was always there.

But when Foggy Nelson opened the door to his apartment on a Friday evening to see his sister standing there drenched with rain with a suitcase at her feet, he was shocked to see her. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that she had never been to his new apartment before and had somehow found it, or if it was the black eye that she was trying so desperately to hide under her dark, wet hair.

"Issy," he whispered, shocked to see her standing in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

"You've been telling me for so long to come up and see you and your new apartment, and I thought, what the hell," she beamed at him. "So I hope I'm not here at a bad time."

"Of course not, come in," he said, stepping out of the way and allowing her entry into his apartment. She heaved the suitcase in with her, and Foggy watched her for a moment. "How long were you thinking about staying, sis?" He watched as she stopped dead in her tracks and turned to stare at him, keeping her hair in front of her bruised eye.

"A couple of days, at the least," Isabelle said, her eyes searching her brothers. "That okay? I can always find a place to stay if not, I don't want to put you out."

"It's fine," Foggy said. "A heads up would've been nice but it's okay. Is everything okay at home?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?" Foggy asked, again.

"Yeah, of course it is," Isabelle said, laughing it off. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Oh I don't know, sis. Just the fact that you've travelled all the way here without letting me know beforehand, and I'm pretty sure you've noticed the black eye you keep trying to hide from me."

Isabelle turned away from him. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay. That's fine," Foggy said. "But we're going to have to talk about it sooner or later. He's hit you, hasn't he?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it, Franklin."

The use of his first name stopped him and he took a moment to look at her properly. She looked tired; her eyes were dark and her face pale. She was stood awkwardly, with her eyes cast down to the floor. Her clothes were soaked, and the thin material of her jacket was sodden.

"Does mom and dad know that he's beating you?"

"Foggy, he's not beating me. We just had an argument, that's all."

"Yeah," Foggy sighed. "And you walked into a door."

Isabelle avoided his gaze, running her tongue along her bottom lip and wincing as it ran over a cut. "Foggy, it's not that simple."

"If he's hit you," Foggy warned. "I'll kill him. I swear."

The siblings stood awkwardly in front of each other for a few moments, neither of them knowing what to say. Foggy's threat was clear, and Isabelle knew Foggy meant well. It was complicated. She was married to the man who felt that beating her up was a way to communicate with her; everything that she did wasn't good enough for him and she didn't understand what else she had to do to get him to stop. It wasn't the first time he had done it, for he had started being violent towards her as soon as she had signed her name on the line declaring her as his wife. She had never had a good enough reason to leave until now.

"I'll set the bed up for you. Why don't you get out of those wet clothes, yeah?"

Isabelle nodded and made her way to the bathroom that Foggy showed her to. Foggy waited until he heard the click of the door and sound of the lock before he pulled his phone out of his back pocket and dialled a number. He moved into his bedroom, and pulled out fresh sheets from the drawer just as a voice answered on the other end.

"Do you miss me or something, Foggy?" Matt's voice filled his ear.

"Or something," Foggy counted. "I've got a bit of a situation."

"Right…"

"My sister has just turned up at my door," Foggy explained as quietly as possible.

"Isabelle?"

"Well, I only have one sister, Matt," Foggy said. "Unless you know of another that I didn't know about."

Matt was quiet for a moment. "Maybe she just wanted to see you. It's been a while since you've spent some time together."

"She has a black eye."

"Wait…" Matt said. "Repeat that? I don't think I got what you said."

"She has a black eye," Foggy whispered, hoping Isabelle couldn't hear from the bathroom. "She avoided my question about whether everything was good at home."

"She probably doesn't want to talk about it," Matt said. "Give her some time and she might open up to you."

"What do I do, Matt? She's my little sister."

"Just be there for her," Matt offered.

"I threatened to kill him if he had touched her," Foggy announced, to which Matt smiled slightly.

"I'll help," Matt said.

"Thanks," Foggy said. "I knew I could trust you, Daredevil. You'll have to get me a costume too."

"Maybe for your birthday," Matt smirked.

"Are you going out tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, be safe. I don't want to find out you died or got kidnapped, yeah?"

Matt winced at his words. "Okay. I promise. Tell Isabelle I said hi."

"Will do," Foggy said, ending the call. He walked over to his couch, with his eyes remaining on the bathroom door. He hated seeing his sister the way she was, but he knew he couldn't do anything other than remain by her side and be there when Isabelle thought it was time to tell him what had happened. Matt had been right, giving her time was the most important thing he could do for her. She would appreciate it wholeheartedly knowing that he would be there for her when she needed her big brother.

The sound of the door opening caught his attention and he offered Isabelle a soft, reassuring smile as she stepped out. It took her a moment to return it but when she did, he felt his heart tug. She had changed into a set of pyjamas that looked as if they were four sizes too big for her, like a child in adult clothing.

"I'm here for you, sis," he said reassuringly. "I'll always be here for you, you know that. When and if you want to talk about it, don't be afraid coming to me. While you're here, you're safe with me."

Tears stung at Isabelle's eyes as she bit her lip and nodded. "Thank you."

"How about…" Foggy began, standing from his seat. "I order us some food in and we watch a crappy movie together?"

"That sounds amazing," Isabelle smiled, watching as her brother picked up the phone.

"I know the numbers off by heart," Foggy smirked. "What do you fancy? Pizza, Chinese?"

"Pizza sounds great!" Isabelle said, the sound of her stomach growling overwhelming her body. Foggy seemed to not notice as he pressed the number in.

"Still don't like mushrooms?" Foggy asked to which Isabelle shook her head and pulled a horrified look.

"Only if they're magic," Isabelle teased, and Foggy shook his head smirking.

* * *

A few hours later, a movie had been watched and pizza had been consumed. They had sprawled themselves out on individual couches with a blanket wrapped around them as they eagerly began to eat their pizza and watch a film that Isabelle had chosen. She had chosen Dumb & Dumber, a favourite of theirs growing up and even though they hadn't seen it in years, laughter filled the air. It was nice to hear her laugh in a way she hadn't for a long time; especially when it was her real laugh that caught her off guard sometimes, that came from deep in her stomach. It always made him laugh out loud.

He didn't question her again about where she had gotten the black eye from, but he could see that she was deeply troubled by it. During parts of the movie, she would tenderly touch it until it hurt as if to remind her of something. He wasn't sure why she kept doing it but he remembered watching Matt do it absentmindedly one day in the office. It must be a reminder of what happened, to make sure that it had happened and it decorated their skin.

He glanced over at the couch. Isabelle was lying there, unfazed by the credits that were rolling up on the screen. Foggy leaned over and saw that her eyes were closed. He waited a moment before standing, and taking the pizza boxes and plates to the counter. He debated whether to check her phone that had remained in her bag all evening. He had heard it buzzing continuously throughout the film and he knew Isabelle had heard it too but had chosen to ignore it. He was tempted but he also knew that knowing too much would cause too many problems. If Isabelle knew he was tempted to check her phone, he knew that she wouldn't feel comfortable staying with him. It was her privacy, and he respected her too much to invade it.

For now, he would just be there for her when she needed him.

He moved back over to her side, and watched as she slept soundly. He smiled, remembering finding her curled up on the couch back at home waiting for him. She would wake up with wide eyes before the realisation hit her that he was home and with her. Foggy moved towards her, and brushed the hair away that had fallen into her face. His eyes fell on the black eye that was trying to hide in the shadows of the dark room but like the moon shining brightly in the night sky, he could see it plain as day.

"Issy," he whispered. No answer.

He slipped his arms underneath her and lifted her with ease. He carried her slowly towards his bedroom, noticing the lightness of her body. She was like a delicate feather. He laid her gently on the bed, watching as she automatically snuggled into the pillow, and he laid a blanket over her. He watched her for a moment before leaving the room and closing the door behind him, unaware of the shadow that swiftly passed by the window.

* * *

Matt waited until Foggy had left the room before he moved in front of the window. He listened into her breathing; soft and calm breaths escaped her mouth and he knew she was asleep. He listened in for a few moments, listening as Foggy walked up and down his apartment floor trying to process everything that had happened. He was worried which wasn't surprising. Matt was too, but he never gave Foggy any clue to how much. He hated the idea of Isabelle having to run away from something so bad that she had turned up on Foggy's doorstep without any warning. She must've been desperate enough to leave quickly.

He had been passing. That was a lie. As soon as Foggy had told him that Isabelle was on his doorstep, he knew he was going to make another stop that night. He had always been protective over Isabelle.

He heard Foggy settle down on the couch, his breathing and heartbeat calming down. He didn't know what it was and he furrowed his brow. He silenced the secondary noise and focused on the primary noises.

He was right. Three heartbeats filled his senses.


	2. Growing

Chapter Two

Sleep had all but welcomed Isabelle as soon as her head had hit the pillow the night before, and as the sun crept through the gap in the curtain and landed in a long strip down the centre of the bed and upon her face, she turned her head to the side and opened her eyes. She was facing the door, and wrapped up in the duvet. She realised that she couldn't remember anything about ending up in what she assumed was the bedroom that belonged to her brother. As she was able to regain her senses properly, she was able to see the clothes that were hung on a basic metal clothes trolley. Clothes were scattered here and there and she smirked as she remembered the site he would always leave his bedroom in growing up.

She must've fallen asleep and Foggy must've carried her in. The last thing she remembered was lying on the couch watching a favourite childhood film and feeling better than what she had been feeling for what seemed like forever. She had felt so contented being with her brother, and knowing that he was so near. Life in Las Vegas had been an experience, and one that she wished had stayed the way it used to be. As Foggy left for college, she was falling head over heels in love with a guy she barely knew. She believed it was the right thing to do, the path her life was supposed to go down, but the cracks had become clear quite early on and being the naïve and stubborn teen that she was, she ignored them. She buried her head in the sand and hoped that the days became easier. They didn't, but she wasn't going to admit the biggest mistake she had made in her life. She believed she knew what love was and what love meant but she didn't, not with the man she married too quickly. She knew what love was like, and she had let it go for something that only held an empty promise, and a sour marriage. The main reason as to why she packed her bags and moved to a different state was because of the pain of seeing a man she loved not love her back, and so she threw herself into relationships and that was when she met Phil. Phil had been what she needed at that point in her life, a distraction from the aching heart she so desperately needed to heal.

And now she was back, having run away from the marriage she regretted, with a black eye from the man she was willing to spend the rest of her life with. He was controlling, and she hadn't realised just how much until she moved across the country with him and away from friends and family. Little things that wouldn't bother anyone else bothered him, and he reprimanded her for them. She just put it down to him loving her. He had a mean streak, and one that multiplied with alcohol meant that he was to be avoided at all costs. He had done it before, but it was always in a haze of drunkenness and he always apologised to her in the morning when he saw the state her face and body was in. He would always be shocked, upset and sickened at the thought of him hurting her, but this time was different. There wasn't an ounce of alcohol in his system, and she knew that if she didn't leave soon then she wouldn't make it out alive. It would escalate out of hand and before she knew it, she would be dead. And she couldn't let that happen. Not now that she had something else to protect and live for.

She knew he would try to find her, and even though she pretended to be prepared, she wasn't. She was scared, but she couldn't tell Foggy just how much. If she did, she couldn't imagine what would happen next. The plan she had made in her head was a blurred one, with all the details jumbled up and faded. She would stay with Foggy for a few days, and then she would move on. Phil knew she would either go to her parents' house, or to Foggy's apartment. The fact that he knew where Foggy lived was dangerous, and she didn't want Foggy to be in any danger.

She tenderly laid a hand over her swollen stomach, and felt the lump in her throat. This baby meant the world to her already and she wasn't going to let anything happen to it. She understood that she had to tell Foggy, for this wasn't a secret she could keep for long.

* * *

Foggy had left early that morning. He had slept badly, as the worry regarding his sister and the unknown reason as to why she was on his doorstep with a black eye and enough luggage for a couple of months. He had entered the bedroom just as the first traces of sun began to appear in the distance, and had observed his sister in a deep slumber. Her brow was furrowed and she was tangled up in the sheets, but nothing seemed to wake her especially when he tripped over his own feet and nearly crashed into the wall. He had gotten a clean suit, shirt and tie and had closed the bedroom door behind him. He quickly changed, scribbling a note out for Isabelle before leaving for work. A quick text sent from Matt notified him that Matt, too, was on his way to work early.

Foggy had tried to keep everything normal, and he stopped off at the local coffee shop to get the usual. He made his way into work much less chipper than what he usually was. As soon as he entered the office, Matt immediately sensed the brooding mood coming from his best friend.

It was understandable when he was the one person she could talk to about the situation she currently found herself in, and Matt understood that Foggy was taking it hard. All he wanted to do was to help people, and to have one of the closest people to him not be open to him made him sad.

"You okay, buddy?" Matt asked, as Foggy placed the coffee containers onto Matt's desk. Foggy placed his work bag down on the floor next to the chair as he took a seat.

"Yeah…" Foggy began, to which Matt waited for a moment. "No."

"Isabelle?" Matt asked, to which Foggy nodded. He was able to sense the slight vibrations in the air at the movement of Foggy's head nodding to his question.

Foggy cursed under his breath and answered a simple: "Yeah."

Matt smirked at the fact that no matter how many times he told Foggy that he could sense everything happening around him, even when someone nodded or shook their head without vocalising their answer, he was still able to pick it up. It was just the politeness of people who didn't want to offend him that made the whole situation funny to him.

"Were you able to speak with her about any of it?"

"No, she fell asleep on the couch, and I just left it," Foggy said. "You should see her, Matt. She doesn't look like Issy; he's hurt her bad and I don't think this was the first time it's happened. She just shrugged it off like it was no big deal when it's the biggest of deals ever. She's my little sister, and seeing her in that way… it's heart breaking."

"It must be hard for her though, Foggy. She obviously ran away from something she knew she had to, and she probably doesn't want to burden you with it," Matt replied, noting that Foggy's mind was elsewhere.

"I want to fight him," Foggy said. "I want to hurt him like he hurt her."

"Foggy…"

"He hurt my sister, Matt. That's like an automatic pass to big brother beat down," Foggy said, adamant.

"Foggy… listen to me…" Matt said to deaf ears. He clicked his fingers. "Earth to Foggy."

Foggy looked at him then, and Matt knew he had his full attention.

"Remember what I told you yesterday," Matt started. "Just be there for her. If she wants to talk, she'll talk. Give her the time and space she needs because she probably wants to talk but she's scared."

"You're right," Foggy replied. "Would you do me a favour?"

"Sure, what?"

"Visit her in your costume, see what the deal is," Foggy said, worriedly.

"I'm not going to do that when she's…" Matt stopped himself from talking, knowing that Foggy didn't know anything. He didn't know that he had visited them the night before, and had heard it. If Foggy had known, he would've told him immediately knowing that Foggy wouldn't be able to hide a secret as big as that. "…just come here, y'know. She'll probably be scared."

"You're right," Foggy said. "I'm not thinking straight."

"Will you be okay to work today?" Matt wondered. He knew what it was like to work with a brain full of thoughts, and it wasn't easy.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Of course not, I mean you light up the room," Matt smirked.

"Is that sarcasm I'm detecting?"

"From me? What? Definitely not," Matt chuckled. Foggy let out a chuckle. "Okay, let's get some work done because the small amount of work we have isn't going to get done itself."

"Yes sir," Foggy replied, leaving Matt's office.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has followed and favourited _Caught on Fire_ , it means a lot to know that people are enjoying it. And thank you to everyone who has left a review, it means so much to hear your feedback on this. Let me know what you think of this chapter!


	3. Old Faces

Chapter Three

The next few hours witnessed the ignoring of calls, and trying to find at least some sort of sanity with her current situation. She tried to keep busy in the quiet apartment, trying so desperately to find something that would capture her attention for longer than a nanosecond. But anything she was able to find to do was replaced with the vibration of her phone is he continued to call her, attempting to contact her. She had placed her phone on silent knowing that the ringing would only cause her anxiety levels to rise. As the ringing continued, she wondered whether she was being melodramatic, but she quickly snapped herself out of that mind frame knowing that it was what he wanted to her feel like. She often blamed herself for him hitting her, and after it had become a part of their marriage, she knew it was time to escape. As soon as he had done it the first time, she believed it was a one off thing and would never be repeated but when it did, she realised that it was their life now. No amount of apologies or presents thrown her way would ever erase the bruises that adorned her skin, and Isabelle knew she had to do something.

Leaving was always the option, but it was a lot harder than what she had first thought. There had to be a plan in place, somewhere to go, enough money to get her by for a while until she found a job and was able to afford the necessities that came with a child. It wasn't just her in this mess anymore, she had a little human growing in her stomach that needed to be protected. And so leaving was the only option.

Isabelle wondered what it would've been like if she had stayed. She had taken the opportunity to leave when he had left the house, just like what he did whenever his fists were thrown in her direction. He always called it 'reflection' but she knew it was a ploy to intoxicate himself with even more alcohol so the guilt that rose within him would be squashed and hidden until he became sober again, and the harsh reality hit him in the face. She had thrown anything she found into a suitcase and had taken the car keys, leaving him behind in the city she never wanted to live in. She drove through the night, never once stopping the vehicle until the vehicle came to a stop and red light flashed on the dashboard notifying her that she was out of gas. She thought about going back, taking it as a hint that she had made the wrong decision. But she had to go. He didn't finish the job, but she knew that when he returned home intoxicated and angrier, he would've ended her life that night. She knew that, and that petrified her.

Her luck seemed to pick up when another vehicle came to her aide, and allowed her to restart her journey. She thought about going back home, but she wasn't ready to face her parents. She thought about going to her friend's house but they were too close to him. Foggy had come to mind, and she had questioned it for a long time, until she realised she was driving towards New York. She left the vehicle outside of New York, leaving it in a motel parking lot, and took a cab all the way to Hell's Kitchen. It cost her an arm and a leg but she was covering up her tracks as best she could.

The phone rang again, and she glanced at the name flashing on the screen, as well as a photograph of them both together, much happier and beaming towards the camera. _Where did everything go wrong_ , she asked herself.

She closed her eyes and lifted her head towards the ceiling, breathing in deeply and allowing her lungs to fill with air. She held it in for a moment, before exhaling slowly until the phone stopped vibrating and the screen became dark. She knew she needed to make a plan, and one that protected everyone she loved from getting hurt.

"I've done this for you, little one," she said, tenderly touching her bump. She was wearing baggy clothes to try and hide her ever growing stomach, it was difficult making sure she positioned herself in the right position so it didn't highlight the fact that she was hiding one of the biggest secrets of her life. "Everything I do from now will be for you."

Foggy listened outside the door as he heard Isabelle's voice vibrate through the air. Matt was listening in also, having caught all of what she said whereas Foggy only picked up on the last few words. Foggy turned towards Matt. Matt could sense that he was confused as his breathing changed slightly.

"Who's she talking to?" Foggy asked, to which Matt shrugged. "Is anyone in the apartment with her?"

Matt shook his head. "I can only sense her."

"Then who's she talking to?" Foggy asked. "Is she on the phone?"

"Maybe, I can't tell," Matt lied.

Foggy tried the door but found that it was locked by the chain. He knocked on the door. Matt sensed her heart rate increase as fear grasped at her heart at the knock. He heard her move towards the door and sensed as her breathing went back to normal, as her heartbeat did also. But it was when he felt her eyes upon him, having travelled from her brother and onto him through the spy hole, that her heart rate increased. He heard her take a deep breath in and exhale as she unlocked and opened the door.

"You remember Matt," Foggy said, closing the door behind his friend.

"Of course," Isabelle replied, her eyes trying to look anywhere but at him. "It's good to see you again, Matthew."

"You too," he replied, nodding in her direction.

"Who were you talking to?" Foggy asked, inquisitively.

"Huh?" Isabelle was caught off guard and she opened her mouth the answer but words seemed to fail her. She thought for a moment. "Oh, I was watching one of my favourite episodes of this show… I know the words off by heart, it's ridiculous."

Foggy stared at her for a moment, before smirking. "You were always doing that as a kid. I could never pay attention to do that."

"It's a skill," Matt added, smirking. She turned to look at him then and he felt her attention change towards him. It had been a long time since he was in her company, and under her gaze. He thought back to years ago when she would look at him and he would feel her eyes upon him, grazing his body as she took in every inch of him. Goosebumps would form on his skin as soon as her eyes burned his skin, the gentle shudder of his body as he responded in such a way to her observing at him. He felt the same sensation pass through him once more, as goosebumps scattered across his body.

The vibrating phone caused her gaze to disappear from him, where he was able to breathe deeply again. Foggy turned to look at Isabelle as the phone vibrated across the coffee table. She was staring at it, watching as it shuffled across the surface.

Matt picked up the fear rattling against her chest. It was horrible knowing something was affecting her so much and that she wasn't being open about it. He understood her reasons, and he could only assume from what Foggy had told him regarding what happened. The very fact that she hadn't told Foggy about her pregnancy was another factor into the reason as to why she was keeping things secret. Had he hurt her in a way that was unthinkable? What else had happened to make her leave everything behind other than the obvious?

The phone fell silent, and Isabelle excused herself.

As soon as the door to the bathroom closed, Matt turned to Foggy. "That's weird."

"Tell me about it," Foggy replied. "That's what she's been doing ever since she got here, and no matter how many times I ask if she's going to answer it, she either ignores me or tells me that it's not important."

"Do you still want me to try and find out?" Matt asked.

Foggy was quiet for a moment. "No… she's obviously scared enough. I don't want to add to that by having her meet Daredevil."

Matt nodded, as the bathroom door opened. Foggy excused himself and entered the bathroom leaving Isabelle and Matt alone. Isabelle moved towards the couch where she took a seat.

"It's a nice surprise to have you here," Matt broke the silence. "What made you come here?"

"Don't do that," Isabelle whispered. "I know that you can sense how I'm feeling. I know you, Matthew."

Matt nods at her words. "Are you in trouble?"

"Define trouble," Isabelle scoffed.

"Isabelle…" Matt warned. Isabelle glanced down at her hands and ran her tongue along her teeth.

As Isabelle opened her mouth to tell him, the bathroom door opened and Foggy re-entered the room. Matt winced knowing that he was getting somewhere with her.

"I better go," Matt said. "I've got a lot of work to do."

"Yeah okay, man," Foggy replied.

Isabelle watched as Matt nodded in her direction. "It was nice talking with you again, Isabelle."

Isabelle winced at the formality of the conversation before nodding. "You too," she said, copying what he had said before.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Foggy," Matt said. As Foggy saw Matt out, Isabelle breathed a sigh of relief and watched as the man who knew so much about her leave. She cursed herself for nearly telling him everything. There had always been something about him that made her want to break down the walls she had built around her and tell all her secrets to, like she had done many years ago. She had confided in him so much and he knew so much more about her than Foggy did.

As Foggy came back into the living room, Isabelle smiled. "Do you want to make our favourite dinner growing up?"

A smile crept across her brother's face as he nodded. "We have the ingredients in?"

"You do, I checked earlier," Isabelle giggled.

As the siblings made spaghetti and meatballs, Isabelle took a moment to watch her brother as he threw the spaghetti onto the wall. She laughed as she was able to forget about everything, and she was grateful to Foggy for allowing her that peace of mind even for a little while.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who favourited and followed this story since I uploaded yesterday, it means a lot to know that you guys are enjoying it! How are we liking Isabelle? What else do you think she's hiding? Please leave a review to let me know what you think as I really appreciate feedback, good or bad!


	4. Wherever You Will Go

Chapter Four

"I have a question for you."

Isabelle turned her attention towards her brother as she twirled spaghetti around her fork. She smirked as she saw the red stain from the sauce around Foggy's mouth. Foggy rolled his eyes at her reaction and wiped his mouth. "Shoot."

"I want to know why you're here," Foggy said carefully.

Isabelle stilled, the fork with spaghetti wrapped around its metal prongs remained inches away from her face. Foggy understood that the question would have to be brought up sooner or later, and he needed to know as much as she was willing to tell him. Something had obviously happened. He had been aware of the bruises that stained his sisters face, and even though they were now fading, they still remained burned in his memory. It scared him to know that she had ran away from something and had come to him.

"I know it's been a couple of days now since you arrived, but it scares me," Foggy continued. "It scares me to see my little sister with bruises on her face. It scares me to see my little sister so scared to answer her phone. Are you in trouble? Has Jason hurt you?"

"I'm really tired," Isabelle whispered. "I'm going to go to bed."

"No," Foggy said sternly. "We've danced around this conversation for days now. I'm your big brother. You used to tell me everything. Open up to me, Issy. You can talk to me about anything."

Isabelle watched him for a few moments. She desperately wanted to tell him everything but she was scared. She wasn't sure how he would take the news, let alone keep it a secret from their parents.

"I don't want this to travel to mom or dad," Isabelle said. "I don't want them to know this yet. I want to tell them myself."

"Sure," Foggy said, nodding. "Of course."

Isabelle took a deep breath. "He beat me. A lot," she whispered, aware of her voice beginning to fail her. "When he did it the first time, I thought that would be it. That he'd lost control that once and it wouldn't happen again. He was angry, frustrated with work. Even though that isn't enough reason to do such a thing. Then it became frequent. Every time he became angry, he would vent that anger through violence… towards me. I wanted so desperately to believe that it would be the last time, but it never was."

"I would spend most of my time hiding the bruises," Isabelle continued. "Covering up as best as I could. For months, he would beat me every night. And every time he was done, he would apologise and wrap me up in his arms as if he was my comforter, and tell me how sorry he was. I questioned him one night about why he does it, and he told me that he didn't know and that he would get help for it. But he never did," Isabelle said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "And then something happened, and he found out. And he became so angry that he was like a rabid dog and I thought… 'This is it. This is how I die'. He choked me so hard, I passed out. And I woke a few hours later to an empty house. And I knew that it was my time to go. I packed everything I could quickly not wanting to be there when he came back and… here I am."

"Isabelle…" Foggy sighed. He was in shock. The news had hit him like freight train and he quickly realised just how unprepared her was at hearing her reasons for being in New York with him. "I'm so sorry… I should've known-"

"-No," Isabella shook her head. "There was no way you would've known it was happening. Just like mom and dad have no idea."

"I'm gonna kill him!" Anger surged through Foggy's veins at that moment.

"No, you're not," Isabelle said. "You're too pretty for prison."

"How can you still joke when this has happened to you?" Foggy asked.

"I have to," Isabelle said. "What else can I do? Cry? I've done that. Be angry with myself? I've done that. Joking helps ease the situation. It's what us Nelson's do best. Make light of a dark situation."

"Can I ask why he did it this time?" Foggy asked.

Isabelle took another deep breath. "I had an affair. I found comfort in another man. I was wrong to do it, but it happened."

Foggy nodded. "I'm so angry… I just want to find him and hurt him the way he hurt you."

"There's also something else…" Isabelle began but was cut off by a loud knock at the door. It was a strong, solid knock and it sent ripples throughout Isabelle's body. She knew that knock. It was a knock that she was sure was strong and violent enough to break down the door. It petrified her when he hid from him, when there was nowhere else to go but to put all her weight against it and hope that he wouldn't be able to get in. He always did.

Isabella jumped from her seat. "It's him. He's here."

She backed away from the counter. Foggy furrowed his brow as he grasped onto the situation. He had only met Jason a few times, and all those times, he seemed like a nice guy. Like a guy he could enjoy a beer with. But now, he was the guy who had beat his little sister up to the point where she feared for her life. Watching her react in the way she did unnerved him. His sister was a strong woman, and to see her almost cower in fear was a shock to his system.

As the knocking continued, Foggy took a deep breath and moved towards the door and peeked through the peep hole.

And there he was.

Jason was stood outside his apartment. He had found her.

"Hide," was all Foggy said as the harsh knocking continued.

"Don't open the door, Foggy. Please… promise me," Isabelle said urgently.

"I won't, I promise," Foggy whispered.

Matt was on watch that night. He had returned to his apartment with the intention to do some paperwork, but part of him couldn't wrap his head around seeing Isabella again. It had been years since he had last seen her but she hadn't changed a bit. He knew her secret, and it was clear as day that she hadn't confided in Foggy about it. He knew it wasn't his place to say but he knew it wasn't something she could keep to herself forever.

After a few hours of staying on the same page of his paperwork, he slipped into his costume. He could feel himself becoming impatient. He wanted to be out there, he wanted to be protecting his city from any potential danger, and being stuck inside doing paperwork wasn't going to help him curb that want.

He found himself sitting on the top of his building. He could hear sirens in the distance from a few blocks away, as well as a few people on the street moving from bar to bar. He was aware of the life within the streets. The streets vibrated with heartbeats and chatter and he smiled at the peaceful city for once.

But it was then that he heard it in a direction he was used to protecting. A shrill pounding filled his senses and he furrowed his brow as he tried to recognise the sound. It was coming in direction of Foggy's street. Matt moved swiftly through the night, moving quickly along the rooftops as the distance between him and Foggy's apartment decreased.

He heard Foggy trying to calm Isabelle down as the pounding continued. It was deafening and relentless. He was aware of the fear within Isabelle's heart. She was petrified. He was able to pick up on another person at that moment.

A man. Six foot three. Two hundred and thirty pounds. He recognised his scent. It was familiar, and he tried to analyse his memories. He had met this man before, and it was at that moment that he remembered. The fear radiating off Isabelle, the way her heart beat furiously in her chest, the salt in the air from the tears streaming down her face.

He had found her.


End file.
